Thank you for adding some real world context to vehicle recalls. I think the public doesn’t realize how common recalls are and the benefits of OTA updates for many of the fixes. Legacy media definitely seems to have an ax to grind with certain automakers (Tesla) and EV’s in general.
@@nc3826 We are two people with zero sponsors. We are industry insiders with a camera. I don't think most people would agree that our motivators are typical of media. -Producer Tim
@@nc3826 No. They're NOT the "MEDIA"...they're NOT owned by Rupert Murdock or any of the other Mass Media controlled "News Organizations". If you can't figure out the difference you're not very bright.
I greatly appreciate how you perfectly articulate your presentation. Many news content providers either speak too rapidly or don’t enunciate their words properly but with you I can hear and understand all that you say. In addition to that, your content is exceptional.
We appreciate your viewership and the specific nature of your compliment. We will strive to continue doing those things well and make improvements each week. We hope you'll subscribe and join us again in the comments section soon. Next weekend's episode...will be so special we will be traveling to break a story up close. -Producer Tim
I appreciate MGE's reporting, especially the context provided to better understand the news. Review of vehicle recalls in general, and history of Rivian's previous joint ventures makes "The Current" more educational and informative than other news outlets.
We are happy to read that the extra context is helpful and welcomed. This episode ran a bit long, we aim for 10 minutes. We saw what had been published elsewhere and though it was important to move a bit beyond the headlines. Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to leave a comment. We hope you'll consider subscribing and sharing this video link. -Producer Tim
We very much appreciate your viewership. Will you consider sharing a link to this video online? It could really help us to find an audience large enough to continue producing The Current. -Producer Tim
I loved my TDi Sportwagen until Diesel-Gate, then went back to a Prius. With high hopes for Rivian, I bought stock, but have lost almost $2K. Regardless, I really hope this venture thrives...there is much potential there.
Big week for Rivian last week. It would be interesting to see how Geely's New LFP Battery stack up against CATL's New 6C Shenxing Plus & BYD 6C Blade Battery 2nd Generation coming out later this year, as they are all LFP Batteries in this competition. Drive, Fly, Ride into the sunset of another great Weekly News Update. Keep up the Good Work, much Respect.
None of the big battery players are sitting still, and the winner will be the consumer! Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to leave a comment! -Producer Tim
Robotaxi service has minimal effect on city congestion because all it does is consume ridership from Uber/Lift and taxi service. You have the same number of vehicles on the road. If it lowers the cost of transportation, many people will use it instead of a personal vehicle.
Uber and Lyft need serious price competition. Musk talking up a similar service. You mention lower cost. A good example of lowering cost is Musk's Starlink will soon offer direct cell phone service. I think that's why we're getting better Cell phone rates and better value Cellphone hotspot plans. Same may happen with transportation cost and Musk is in the middle of it all once again.
Yes, it will initially compete with human-driven ride services. If it succeeds in lowering the cost, it could shift more transportation to this mode, and make congestion worse. On the other hand, it could make transit more attractive by making it easier to access express transit routes and reducing parking near stations.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. Suboptimal fleet allocation will result in suboptimal congestion. Robotaxi can achieve optimal allocation in large part due to the emergence of AI and the consolidation of real-time information when a single player services a region. -Producer Tim www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/
@@MissGoElectric the article you linked to makes some good points. It's of course a biased point of view coming from a company that is developing robotaxis. But they make valid arguments, and not the "optimal fleet allocation by AI" idea you are expousing. Rather, their points are the idea I already mentioned about last mile service in conjunction with real transit, and also using the vehicles for micro transit with multiple riders, rather than using them for individual rides. Optimal fleet allocation can reduce the need for empty vehicles to drive long distances on the way to pick up passengers, but that can only reduce that disadvantage, not turn it into an advantage.
We agree that the headlines are intentionally misleading and damaging related to OTA updates. We agree with you that it would be great if there were a more appropriate term utilized by NHTSA. Thank you for commenting! -Producer Tim
Great Video Miss GE! Thanks so much for your great reporting. The Verve needs to either have "Bench Seat" that makes it easier to slide across or moveable Middle Section / Arm Rest between the seats. If you're getting in an Uber / Robotaxi / cab in a congested city...It's better if You BOTH get IN and OUT on the Curb Side if you have two people riding together ...NOT on the traffic side. Easy way to get hit by a vehicle by getting in / out on the traffic side. Lived in a Major City for almost two decades and it's not a good setup for that vehicle to have a significant arm rest / console in the middle. It looks like the Tesla version / sketches has more of a "slide though" version with an armrest that can lift up.
Thanks for your compliment. We agree that a requirement for second passengers to enter from the traffic side being is sub-optimal from an ingress/egress safety standpoint. -Producer Tim
We are happy you've chosen to join us. If you can share our work online, we might be able to build an audience large enough to sustain this programming. See you next week! -Producer Tim
That's good news about the Geely battery tech, if true. It means that Volvo and Polestar should get much better battery packs (better range, more safe) very soon, if Geely shares it with its satellite automakers.
We expect these batteries to enter mass production after 18-24 months. Geely will scale the cells by integrating the platforms used by their sub-brands including: Passenger car brands: Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Livan, Proton, E-Energee, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Zeekr, Lotus, Smart Automobile, LEVC, and Radar New Energy Automobile Commercial vehicle brands: London EV Company, Radar Auto, and Farizon Motorcycle brands: Zhejiang Geely Ming Industrial (Jiming and Geely), Qianjiang Motorcycle (QJMotor and Keeway), and Benelli -Producer Tim
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It is normal that first generation vehicles to have some problem or recalls, however the Ford F-150, the Porche Taycan which have been on the market for a long time, doesn't look Good on them!
Those brake line hoses were bent too tightly for the material. Over time, the stress of the configuration caused some cracking, which lead to leaks. Often, those sorts of wear schedules cannot be perfectly simulated. -Producer Tim
Miss GE, no complaint to your reporting, just a comment on the PR system and all Media. I find the media reporting on Verne and other EV and autonomous vehicles concepts as though they are certain to become real products is ridiculous. The reporting of the claims of these startups with no skepticism while questioning every future plan and goal of Tesla with unending derision is hard to take seriously. All that the startups or legacy auto needs to do to get positive media coverage is a hand made prototype and a list of claimed features. No experience in volume production of EVs, no proven autonomous software, no supply chain just a pretty prototype and hype promising an incredible product in a few years. The PR machine works well. Elon may make optimistic predictions, but at least he has a track record of success. As Elon said: “we specialize in making the impossible merely late”.
Well, Waymo and Cruise have working Robotaxis, Tesla does not. Waymo has no plans to manufacture their own vehicles just the software, and GM certainly has production experience. As far as Rimac goes, their technology is going in BMWs and they work with Porsche. I will take Teslas claims of a universal robotaxi seriously when they start testing one.
Waymo and Cruise have Robotaxis with limited usability, expandability and profitability prospects. The issues are that they are not completely autonomous, both companies have a group of employees ready to take over the driving when the car gets confused. They also can only drive in geofenced areas that have been meticulously scanned and mapped on a continuous basis. Lastly, the Waymo and Cruise vehicles are expensive to manufacture, some estimates are $250K per vehicle. That may come down with volume. Currently these two companies are losing millions of dollars and the path to profitability is not clear. The Tesla plan is to use their AI trained FSD software to allow a Robotaxis service that can drive truly autonomously in any location while not relying on special mapping. They have been testing the self driving software on over 5 million Tesla cars with impressive results particularly in their latest software version 12. Not 100% yet, but remarkable performance and monthly improvements. When they solve their system in the next year or two it will open up millions of existing Tesla vehicles on the road to full AI trained autonomous driving. And all current and future Tesla vehicles are equipped the cameras and computer needed to run this software. Current popular models cost between $38,000 to $48,000 after the Federal Rebate. About the same price as a well equipped Camry.
The VCMS / ECU update on the EV6 is available. Dunno if it's a recall or if recalls are now called "updates." We have another "update" on our Diesel Denali. We're told dealer installed updates are to prevent hacking vs over the air updates. Damfino why, sounds legit. Our KIA dealer is soooo cool. They loan the wifie a new Kia to drive when the EV6 is in service and cooler bottles and insulated bags and sunglasses and all kinda Merch when she rolls in for updates. A pleasant experience.
@@rickmcdonald7075 Thank you, appreciated . I'm here to learn. BTW: Several Rivians were "Bricked" at the chargers in Baker Ca. Rivian sent a OTA something and the Rivians unbricked, charged and rolled onto 'Vegas. Good customer support IMHO.
I attended the PPIHC in 2000 up at Devil’s Playground. We saw 2 diesel big rigs haul butt up the mountain. Lots of black smoke & awesome to watch! It’s time to bring the Tesla Semi & other electric big rigs to America’s Mountain!
I'm not quite sure how robotaxis wil reduce vehicle congestion in cites. I would think it will do the exact opposite. If I'm wrong I would like someone to explain to me how this would be the case. It might reduce the amount of paring spots required but how will it reduce congestion on the roads? Also in cold weather climates there will have to be an indoor parking spot for every robotaxi during severe weather events. Or am I confused about how that will work?
Traffic reduction might be among the possible benefits. Safety and convenience will absolutely be benefits. Each provider will devise and refine their own operation. Waymo is already operating in a couple of US markets with hundreds of vehicles. -Producer Tim www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-self-driving-cars-reduce-traffic-congestion-alex-frank
@@charliesullivan4304 Reducing pollution is part of reducing congestion and can be said in the same breath, so maybe not a mistake. A gallon of gas takes our Mazda 6 32 miles. A gallon of gas in our generator puts 109 miles range on our EV6. We have blackouts here, wife is a first responder, it's our back up. Charging off our solar is free.
How does VW give billions to Rivian when they have one of the largest debts in the automotive industry? Volkswagen Total Long Term Debt (Quarterly): 203.47B for March 31, 2024.
My wife and her GF's rent a Taycan and buzz al around Europe especially Switzerland. They are all convinced from those experiences EVs are the future, and VW is convinced too. Problem with EVs is forcing them on people and certain political people don't want to hear that.
VW has debt, but that is normal. They also have about $40B cash-on-hand. It is smart of them to put it to work with a loan to Rivian in exchange for technology which could save them years and billions of dollars. Thank you for raising this question and we hope we've added clarity. -Producer Tim www.group1corp.com/2024-04-24-Group-1-Automotive-Reports-First-Quarter-2024-Financial-Results
@@MissGoElectric Most Legacy auto have EXCESSIVE Debt...have used it to do Share Buybacks and other "Earnings Juicing" moves to increase the Stocks on a Quarterly Earnings basis. That's how Legacy CEO's bonuses are determined. Instead of really focusing on the transition to pure EVs...they're slowing their roll on EVs. Just like VW cheated on DieselGate. This is a recurring theme. Fortunately there's companies that are True EV's or very heavy EVs. Cheers!
10% of Rivian's big software division are experts poached from Rivian. Their user interfaces have a lot of room for improvement. We think its smart for them to develop GUI in house. Rivian will save them a lot of money with a unified, simplified, and more efficient subsystem architecture. We think VW is on the right track. -Producer Tim techcrunch.com/2024/06/28/volkswagens-silicon-valley-software-hub-is-already-stacked-with-rivian-talent
We think Geely is a dark horse in the race for global market share. They've made many wise brand acquisitions. Polestar and Volve have cleverly established manufacturing in the US, Belgium, and South Korea which means they are on track to avoid the tariffs which are currently blocking their best Chinese competitors from entering the US market. They appear to be very serious about vertical integration and scale. Thank you for commenting. --Producer Tim
Why is auto industry so obsessed with self-driving cars? Who is asking for them? Also, how exactly are robotaxis going to reduce urban congestion? They are still vehicles on the road.
People need rides places. They'd like the driver to be reliable, fast, affordable, and safe. If a robotaxi service can be better at all of those things, the business will be enormous. The leaders in this space which scale first will probably go unchallenged due to the flywheel effects of data and service/hardware refinement. As for congestion, here is an article on that: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/ Thanks for commenting -Producer Tim
Think about it. Why own a car if you can order a Robo with your cell phone to take you anywhere, arriving in minutes. This could be the future of transportation.
All of those are solvable with software and policy. In each case, the problem can be solved for less money buying time than carrying the asset. -Producer Tim
Ford can now go back with the same truck next year and run an 8:30 and beat their own record lol. I'm glad to hear Rivian has another lifeline. I was glad to hear RJ talk about more platform choices for EV; hoping to see a Rivian minivan. I like 1980's & 90's conversion vans. Ford could sell classic van chassis (they still sell new gas ones to RV converters) with a sub-200 mile battery (tax-credit qualifying), that has space & hookups (both current & cooling) for plug-in LFP battery modules. Camper. Ambulance. Towing or long-haul. Able to accept solar inputs. An RV house battery that could be used to recharge the main battery.
We recently published a segment over on our @missgoelectricIndsustry channel about a man who is enabling those older chassis to find new lives as EVs. You might like it: ua-cam.com/video/rZPA7KieqN4/v-deo.html -Producer Tim
We hope we provided enough information for our viewers to see why we are cautiously optimistic. Rivian has a track record of announcing deals which are not final and subsequently fail. In this case, Rivian has borrowed $1B from VW and nothing more. They plan to reach an agreement for a joint venture which could result in a cash infusion of another $1B later this year. Then again, they might not reach an agreement and nothing could happen. The big pop in the stock and the sentiment offered by most coverage we've read regarding this issue does not seem to reflect the truly undefined nature of the JV or the milestones required for the final $3B. We paid close attention during the investor presentation. We hope our coverage is tempered and our skepticism is fair Thank your for joining us this week!. -Producer Tim
Looking forward to the metal doped LFP battery cells becoming available more broadly in different form factors. Can help stationary storage, like in off-grid homes with the greater operational temperature ranges and better capacity for homes too!
Interesting about Rivian and VW. That certainly is the big story. Rivian's biggest problem is capital. VW initially had big software issues and still lags the industry, plus their platform, even with many updates, fails to satisfy their fans well enough. A big company with issues and the money to spend on a solution vs. a small quality startup which needs money in order to become profitable. The 2 companies could bale each other out in the EV market where partnerships are becoming increasingly necessary. Now that EVs have conquered Pikes Peak, the feasibility of them is an example of how electric is becoming more road worthy every day, in spite of some hick ups, one step at a time. Great reporting!
Thank you for your synopsis. We think you'll really appreciate our dedicated Pikes Peak EV explainer: ua-cam.com/video/z9_All7lC6Y/v-deo.html -Producer Tim
Very good video. I look forward to the Current each week. I see the partnership between Rivian and VW as a positive. To me it makes Rivian much more likely to survive and grow.
The VW and Rivian partnership can absolutely be a win-win. Right now, Rivian has $1B in debt. We hope they'll finalize a smart deal and hit the milestones for healthy finances through the completion of the Georgia factory and ramp of the R2. Thank you for joining us each week. -Producer Tim
Hmmm. Well… I wish Tesla would have recalled the HV Battery PCS that have broken down for numerous owners -or at least covered them under its HV Battery warranty. Tsk. I'm encouraged by the Rivian + VW deal, but also wish the latter would spend some beaucoup bucks on expanding and improving its Electrify America network. It's so sorely needed! As for robotaxis, I am not thrilled about them: I foresee us eventually evolving into the clueless, incapable, bloated humans in WALL•E.
Safety, convenience, and value are the primary advantages we should expect from Robotaxi technology. Congestion relief will be a consequence of optimally run robotaxi services. The pioneers will probably learn how to do it poorly before they learn how to do it well. Efficient allocation of robotaxi fleets will take time and data. Thank you for commenting. -Producer Tim www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/
@@MissGoElectric I agree with your link, especially with the "last mile" argument. If robo-taxis could work together with buses, trains, then I think that would be great. And EVs make great robo-taxis. To tell you the truth, I think you could even do that with "van share" where a van takes you from subway, major bus stop, to where you want to go.
Thank you for taking the time to leave an encouraging comment. We hope you'll consider sharing a link to this episode online. Last week views were down about 30% and we know that link sharing on forums or social media can help us to keep the series going. -Producer Tim
Both VW and Rivian benefit. But Rivian benefits the most right now. Once VW has finalized its 5 billion investment, there is no chance that VW will allow Rivian to go bankrupt. However, better and more reliable EVs will benefit the VW group immensely later in the decade.
@@rp9674 How is VW doing with its OTAs? The software and zonal architecture have more to do with the system that controls the vehicle, not necessarily the user interface. So far, the only vehicle software manufacturers that have achieved this level of software success are Tesla and Rivian, which Rivian is quickly catching up. VW wants this same level of capabilities but must not see a path in a timely matter, such as the latter half of this decade.
At the moment, the details of the deal are not finalized. It has the potential to be a win-win and we hope Rivian is able to follow through this time cooperating with another automaker. Right now, Rivian has $1B worth of new debt and VW stands to make a return on the loan. Thank you for commenting. We hope to see you in the comments section again next week. -Producer Tim
Another great episode! The recent announcements from Oak Ridge National Labs on their work with VW/Porsche on wireless charging have been interesting. Using a Taycan and their new hardware they have achieved 100kW and 270kW charging speeds. Still a ways off from anything production ready but that sounds promising for future options on charging.
We haven't spoken with them in a while. Tesla bought Wiferion and has shown photos of their upcoming technology. The Cybertruck also had confirmed connections near the rear underside for a wireless charging receiver. Hyundai has been building EVs with Witricity support in South Korea. We suspect that technology will be ubiquitous within three or four years. -Producer Tim
I want to see Aptera run Pike's Peak. They won't perform the best, they can't take advantage of their aerodynamic design, but hopefully the light weight still makes a great impact.
In a previous episode, we reported that the factory in South Carolina has produced its first Geely SUVs already. It looks like summer deliveries are on track for Polestar 3 out of the US. South Korea will be producing Polestar4 for the American market. -Producer Tim
How did Rivian get the funding or Verne? Well..the answer will be largely the same. The leaders have innovated and proven that they get things done. RJ Scaringe and Mate Rimac are both the real deal and they are highly backable figures. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to answer your question. -Producer Tim
Microphone placement in this episode is identical to last week, as are the EQ, limiter, and noise reduction plugin settings. I'm happy to hear that the audio is satisfactory! -Producer Tim
How can a hydraulic failure cause loss of both front brakes? I thought NHTSA regulations had required dual diagonal braking systems since the 1960's. With dual diagonal hydraulic failures result in the loss of one front brake and one rear brake. It would take two independent failures to loose both front brakes.
We have not reported, or seen reporting that *BOTH* brakes will fail as a result of the leak. The language we have seen is that front brakes can fail. Note absence of the word "both". Here is the language directly from NHTSA: June 19, 2024 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 24V455000 Front Brake Hoses Can Crack and Leak Fluid A brake fluid leak can reduce braking performance and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V455000 Manufacturer Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Potential Number of Units Affected 31,689 Summary Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Taycan vehicles. The front brake hoses can develop cracks and leak brake fluid. Remedy Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 3, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARB0.
A top Rivian Exec is a neighbor of ours. Has 2 Rivians. We can't get used to the front clip styling. Get up in the morning and look at that in the driveway? Nahh, not for us. Wifie has to get up and look at me,, that's enough for one morning.
Certainly an interesting turn of events. Happy for Rivian as they desperately need the cash and I'd like to see them succeed long term. So long as VW isn't calling the shots for Rivian this could be a win-win for both.
Miss GoElectric's daily driver is a Rivian R1T Dual Motor Performance with the Max Pack battery. For what its worth, she is very happy with the product. Before that her daily driver was a 2022 Tesla Model Y. We also have a Tesla Model S and a Cybertruck. She has driven just about every EV on the market. For what its worth, she almost always chooses to drive the Rivian. -Producer Tim
Question: for Pikes Peak, what was the EV time vs the best ICE time? Assuming that EV was better, this should be shared to help inform people of the progress of EVs. 2024 shouldn't be EV vs EV, it should be letting the public know every time EVs beat ICE, and WHY EVs are better.
Best EV 8:53 Best ICE 9:04 -Producer Tim ppihc.org/2024-ppihc-division-winners-record-holders/#:~:text=This%20was%20Cowper's%20second%20consecutive,sub%2D10%2Dminute%20time.
We found Waymo's Jaguar robotaxi to be quite luxurious both physically and in terms of how it behaved. It will be exciting to see purpose-built robotaxi interiors in the wild one day. -Producer Tim
I've had my Model Y for 2 years and it seems like a new car with MANY improvements and new features since I bought it. All over the air, it's never been back to Tesla. Meanwhile my gas car sits in the garage with several recalls due but I dread having to go back to the dealer to get them fixed.
My 2015 BMW I3 and 2015 Fiat 500e still drive great with quick acceleration. Infotainment and active safety features have changed on the same pace as gas cars. 80mi range to 259 for my 23 Bolt. I don't expect the new EV to have 780 Mi range, would be unnecessary anyway. I also expect diminishing increaces on charging speed
@@rp9674 I think VW is addressing the cost issue that is problematic for everyone today except Tesla. They must feel like they have fallen behind on Zonal architecture and its software. Rivian has recently formed a joint venture with Nvidia to begin making perhaps the most capable zonal MCUs yet to be used in this manner. I think VW wants to do this, but it is too far behind its software and hardware plans and wants to license or own what Rivian has already developed. The future will rely on profitability and desirability. What makes Tesla and Rivian special is that the vehicles, over time, are much better than the day they were purchased. VW, Ford, GM, etc., are a decade behind. It's only a matter of time before shoppers realize this and stop buying vehicles that need to be replaced to receive new features and performance. That “ next year's model” of dealership upselling is becoming obsolete and might be the death knell for makers who don’t catch up.
VERNE robotaxi should be renamed "Cinderella". The catchy hit song of the original Disney movie was: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The Mobileye costs a fortune, weighs a ton, uses lots of power, and... does not work. Unlikely to ever see production and deployment, other than perhaps running around the only monorail systems in the world: Disney World.
We'll see what happens with the software side of things, but we have a high degree of confidence that Mate Rimac will deliver the vehicle. Once investment from Saudi Arabia is involved, we tend to see ideas realized. Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla are prime examples. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Thanks. It's all coming back to me now, Elon was going to take Tesla private, and the Saudis were one of the key sources of money. After the SEC noise, they cut and ran.
The correlation you've implied is speculation. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund was invested from 2012-2020. Elon's tweet about going private was posted on August 7th, 2018. -Producer Tim
The problem with all of the recalls is that the microscope is on EV’s. Thanks to the naysayers and the bias media, anything that happens to any electric vehicle gets magnified disproportionately compared to ICE vehicles. The critics don’t take into consideration the thousands of ICE vehicles that get recalled every year for all sorts of reasons and the media doesn’t even bother to scrutinize the problems as much as they do with EV’s.
Billions $$$ made on the Rivian - VW stock bubble by a few who actually understand what's happening. Essentially, VW is buying ~ 20% of Rivian cheap ($1 billion) because Rivian could not find another source of $$$ it needs to stay in business a year from now. Rivian recently started making vehicles with greatly reduced costs, that transition was 6-9 months, which is lighting fast for a car company. VW can't change anything, other than delay or cancel plans, in less than 3~4 years. Who says? Herbert Diess did. The question is what will the final "deal" be, how much it dilutes existing shareholder, what are the milestones for further investments, will VW have the money then and most significantly, as one of Rivian's largest stock holders, what will VW demand? It would be a good idea for all the enthusiastic cheerleader's to read the "Agreement" in full before euphoria sets in as it could be < $10 in the coming months.
As we understand it, VW owns zero percent of Rivian. At the moment, Rivian has debt, provided by VW. Later this year, there is a possibility VW and Rivian finalize the details and Rivian could receive one billion dollars for access to intellectual property and other benefits associated with the joint venture. Time will tell what kind of ownership RJ and the board are willing to cede. VW and Ford have a similar arrangement, sharing the MEB platform and Argo without either company giving up equity or control. While we are not as emphatic about the conclusions you've drawn, most of the premises you've stated check out. This deal is good for VW and good for Rivian. Even a win-win deal can fall apart when it comes time to sign the contract. Until the details are finalized, we'll approach this with cautious optimism. Than you for sharing your views. -Producer Tim www.motor1.com/news/657646/volkswagen-group-ceo-partnership-ford-growing/
@@MissGoElectric You left out the word "convertable" in the description of Rivian's debt to VW. Both understand that it will be "converted" into Rivian stock sooner than later, since Rivian cannot possibly payback the "loan" and is unlikely to get new financing. Because of this, regardless of what arrangement is made between VW & Rivian, some large stockholders will object to the large dilution of their holdings. Ford / VW is a bit different. Ford's Europe sales are plummeting and they need an EV car to build and sell, so they came up with a deal where Ford pays $$ to VW for rights and power trains to assemble them in their own plant. The Argo and Capri are a mixture of the Mach-E and ID.4 ~ $50k +/- $5k Europe only sales.
The terms of possible stock/equity conversion are unknown. At the moment, its a loan. Speculation regarding what can happen and what potential futures exist can easily fill a comments section. -Producer Tim
I'll see the devil handing out ice-skates before I get in a robo taxi that doesn't have a way for riders to take over control when (not if) there is an issue. I have owned to many electronics that freak out for no reason.
We've very much enjoyed our experiences hiring the Waymo robotaxi. It was superior to human drivers for us. Remember, human drivers can glitch out as well. -Producer Tim www.abc15.com/news/crime/denver-uber-driver-accused-of-killing-passenger-charged-with-first-degree-murder
@@MissGoElectric True, humans do "glitch". My real worry is that there is no way to override the AI if it "glitches" in these proposed box-with-seats concepts. At least with the Waymo Robotaxis, there is still a steering wheel you can grab in an emergency.
Transformation of transportation to riegn in emissions requires careful planning. Taxis are the least efficient way to move a person on the ground. Electric trams, metros, and regional rail are the most efficient and viable way to eliminate emissions and move people at scale. along with micromobility. We're only seeing excitement about autonomous robotaxis by tech bros and technocrats, and they haven't actually figured out that taxies create increased traffic congestion and don't scale. Taxis are for the rich, so we shouldn't be surprised when rich tech bros seeking profits offer them up as a viable solution. Taxis and ridesharing services are undermining and cannibalizing share mass transit. We need to stop the deadheading that taxi style transportation causes and this includes privatized microtransit, the next problem MPOs are mistakenly experimenting with.
The people I know who used light rail don't anymore due to safety, disease and simply disgusting behavior by some riders. The rather recent line that's nearest me is losing massive money every year and the counties involved are trying to close it down due to losses and low ridership. The new line through the city has been cancelled after large investment due to public disapproval. Boring company or similar tunnels may be a solution as they solve most of the problems of light rail.
That is one way of looking at it. We do not share your view, but we also do not have a horse in that race. This channel is about electrification and Verne is an EV. -Producer Tim
Geely must make vehicles and batteries in USA to compete. I would never buy a Chinese EV or battery which sends profits to CCP military. 100% tariff please on Chinese EVs / batteries.
China is the biggest & best battery producer in the world. North American big 3 needs those batteries to be able to compete, since the price of those batteries would be much lower, however with the Tariff, we, the consumer are the losers.
@@rozonoemi9374 Without a tariff, the American auto industry will need a government bailout paid by Americans so you lose here while China propers. We must not allow China to take over the US auto industry. American technology better wake up and work smarter than the Chinese to compete. I would never buy a Chinese battery.
Thank you for adding some real world context to vehicle recalls. I think the public doesn’t realize how common recalls are and the benefits of OTA updates for many of the fixes. Legacy media definitely seems to have an ax to grind with certain automakers (Tesla) and EV’s in general.
You are right. The media coverage resembles a funhouse mirror sometimes when it comes to EVs. -Producer Tim
@@nc3826 We are two people with zero sponsors. We are industry insiders with a camera. I don't think most people would agree that our motivators are typical of media. -Producer Tim
@@nc3826 No. They're NOT the "MEDIA"...they're NOT owned by Rupert Murdock or any of the other Mass Media controlled "News Organizations". If you can't figure out the difference you're not very bright.
I greatly appreciate how you perfectly articulate your presentation. Many news content providers either speak too rapidly or don’t enunciate their words properly but with you I can hear and understand all that you say. In addition to that, your content is exceptional.
We appreciate your viewership and the specific nature of your compliment. We will strive to continue doing those things well and make improvements each week. We hope you'll subscribe and join us again in the comments section soon. Next weekend's episode...will be so special we will be traveling to break a story up close. -Producer Tim
I appreciate MGE's reporting, especially the context provided to better understand the news. Review of vehicle recalls in general, and history of Rivian's previous joint ventures makes "The Current" more educational and informative than other news outlets.
We are happy to read that the extra context is helpful and welcomed. This episode ran a bit long, we aim for 10 minutes. We saw what had been published elsewhere and though it was important to move a bit beyond the headlines. Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to leave a comment. We hope you'll consider subscribing and sharing this video link. -Producer Tim
Good work! I love your show!
Miss Go Electric is unique and on point. She'll go far but it'll take time.
We very much appreciate your viewership. Will you consider sharing a link to this video online? It could really help us to find an audience large enough to continue producing The Current. -Producer Tim
We need all of the help we can get spreading the word :) -Producer Tim
I loved my TDi Sportwagen until Diesel-Gate, then went back to a Prius. With high hopes for Rivian, I bought stock, but have lost almost $2K. Regardless, I really hope this venture thrives...there is much potential there.
Rivian is making many very smart moves. We are happy their odds of survival are trending positively. -Producer Tim
Ty.
You are most welcome! Tell a friend :) -Producer Tim
Big week for Rivian last week. It would be interesting to see how Geely's New LFP Battery stack up against CATL's New 6C Shenxing Plus & BYD 6C Blade Battery 2nd Generation coming out later this year, as they are all LFP Batteries in this competition. Drive, Fly, Ride into the sunset of another great Weekly News Update. Keep up the Good Work, much Respect.
None of the big battery players are sitting still, and the winner will be the consumer! Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to leave a comment! -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric The consumer wins indeed! You are welcome. Cheers!
Robotaxi service has minimal effect on city congestion because all it does is consume ridership from Uber/Lift and taxi service. You have the same number of vehicles on the road.
If it lowers the cost of transportation, many people will use it instead of a personal vehicle.
Uber and Lyft need serious price competition. Musk talking up a similar service. You mention lower cost. A good example of lowering cost is Musk's Starlink will soon offer direct cell phone service. I think that's why we're getting better Cell phone rates and better value Cellphone hotspot plans. Same may happen with transportation cost and Musk is in the middle of it all once again.
Yes, it will initially compete with human-driven ride services. If it succeeds in lowering the cost, it could shift more transportation to this mode, and make congestion worse. On the other hand, it could make transit more attractive by making it easier to access express transit routes and reducing parking near stations.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
Suboptimal fleet allocation will result in suboptimal congestion. Robotaxi can achieve optimal allocation in large part due to the emergence of AI and the consolidation of real-time information when a single player services a region.
-Producer Tim
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/
@@MissGoElectric the article you linked to makes some good points. It's of course a biased point of view coming from a company that is developing robotaxis. But they make valid arguments, and not the "optimal fleet allocation by AI" idea you are expousing. Rather, their points are the idea I already mentioned about last mile service in conjunction with real transit, and also using the vehicles for micro transit with multiple riders, rather than using them for individual rides.
Optimal fleet allocation can reduce the need for empty vehicles to drive long distances on the way to pick up passengers, but that can only reduce that disadvantage, not turn it into an advantage.
They need to change name of recalls when it’s an OTA update.
We agree that the headlines are intentionally misleading and damaging related to OTA updates. We agree with you that it would be great if there were a more appropriate term utilized by NHTSA. Thank you for commenting! -Producer Tim
Great Video Miss GE! Thanks so much for your great reporting.
The Verve needs to either have "Bench Seat" that makes it easier to slide across or moveable Middle Section / Arm Rest between the seats.
If you're getting in an Uber / Robotaxi / cab in a congested city...It's better if You BOTH get IN and OUT on the Curb Side if you have two people riding together ...NOT on the traffic side.
Easy way to get hit by a vehicle by getting in / out on the traffic side. Lived in a Major City for almost two decades and it's not a good setup for that vehicle to have a significant arm rest / console in the middle.
It looks like the Tesla version / sketches has more of a "slide though" version with an armrest that can lift up.
Thanks for your compliment. We agree that a requirement for second passengers to enter from the traffic side being is sub-optimal from an ingress/egress safety standpoint.
-Producer Tim
I like.the way you put a very straight forward show…..thank you keep up the good work
We are happy you've chosen to join us. If you can share our work online, we might be able to build an audience large enough to sustain this programming. See you next week!
-Producer Tim
That's good news about the Geely battery tech, if true. It means that Volvo and Polestar should get much better battery packs (better range, more safe) very soon, if Geely shares it with its satellite automakers.
We expect these batteries to enter mass production after 18-24 months. Geely will scale the cells by integrating the platforms used by their sub-brands including:
Passenger car brands: Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Livan, Proton, E-Energee, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Zeekr, Lotus, Smart Automobile, LEVC, and Radar New Energy Automobile
Commercial vehicle brands: London EV Company, Radar Auto, and Farizon
Motorcycle brands: Zhejiang Geely Ming Industrial (Jiming and Geely), Qianjiang Motorcycle (QJMotor and Keeway), and Benelli
-Producer Tim
Nice presentation and content.
We appreciate your viewership. We hope you'll subscribe and hit the notification bell so that UA-cam will let you know next time we publish. -Producer Tim
It is normal that first generation vehicles to have some problem or recalls, however the Ford F-150, the Porche Taycan which have been on the market for a long time, doesn't look Good on them!
Those brake line hoses were bent too tightly for the material. Over time, the stress of the configuration caused some cracking, which lead to leaks. Often, those sorts of wear schedules cannot be perfectly simulated. -Producer Tim
Miss GE, no complaint to your reporting, just a comment on the PR system and all Media. I find the media reporting on Verne and other EV and autonomous vehicles concepts as though they are certain to become real products is ridiculous. The reporting of the claims of these startups with no skepticism while questioning every future plan and goal of Tesla with unending derision is hard to take seriously. All that the startups or legacy auto needs to do to get positive media coverage is a hand made prototype and a list of claimed features. No experience in volume production of EVs, no proven autonomous software, no supply chain just a pretty prototype and hype promising an incredible product in a few years. The PR machine works well. Elon may make optimistic predictions, but at least he has a track record of success. As Elon said: “we specialize in making the impossible merely late”.
Out here we call it, as Vin Skully coined: "claims that are Hollywood"
Well, Waymo and Cruise have working Robotaxis, Tesla does not. Waymo has no plans to manufacture their own vehicles just the software, and GM certainly has production experience. As far as Rimac goes, their technology is going in BMWs and they work with Porsche.
I will take Teslas claims of a universal robotaxi seriously when they start testing one.
Waymo and Cruise have Robotaxis with limited usability, expandability and profitability prospects. The issues are that they are not completely autonomous, both companies have a group of employees ready to take over the driving when the car gets confused. They also can only drive in geofenced areas that have been meticulously scanned and mapped on a continuous basis. Lastly, the Waymo and Cruise vehicles are expensive to manufacture, some estimates are $250K per vehicle. That may come down with volume. Currently these two companies are losing millions of dollars and the path to profitability is not clear. The Tesla plan is to use their AI trained FSD software to allow a Robotaxis service that can drive truly autonomously in any location while not relying on special mapping. They have been testing the self driving software on over 5 million Tesla cars with impressive results particularly in their latest software version 12. Not 100% yet, but remarkable performance and monthly improvements. When they solve their system in the next year or two it will open up millions of existing Tesla vehicles on the road to full AI trained autonomous driving. And all current and future Tesla vehicles are equipped the cameras and computer needed to run this software. Current popular models cost between $38,000 to $48,000 after the Federal Rebate. About the same price as a well equipped Camry.
Good point. We should have tempered our language better than we did. -Producer Tim
Agree the sentiment. Report on robo-taxis/self drive when its more than a tourist attraction.
The VCMS / ECU update on the EV6 is available. Dunno if it's a recall or if recalls are now called "updates." We have another "update" on our Diesel Denali. We're told dealer installed updates are to prevent hacking vs over the air updates. Damfino why, sounds legit. Our KIA dealer is soooo cool. They loan the wifie a new Kia to drive when the EV6 is in service and cooler bottles and insulated bags and sunglasses and all kinda Merch when she rolls in for updates. A pleasant experience.
Only Tesla have over the air update in place, so keep on waiting for your OTA updates on all other EV.
@@rozonoemi9374 We get them on our Denali, assumed they come on all vehicles.
Rivian and Ford have OTA updates too.
@@rickmcdonald7075 Thank you, appreciated . I'm here to learn. BTW: Several Rivians were "Bricked" at the chargers in Baker Ca. Rivian sent a OTA something and the Rivians unbricked, charged and rolled onto 'Vegas. Good customer support IMHO.
A recall is mandated by a government body. Updates can be (and are often) voluntary. -Producer Tim
I attended the PPIHC in 2000 up at Devil’s Playground. We saw 2 diesel big rigs haul butt up the mountain. Lots of black smoke & awesome to watch! It’s time to bring the Tesla Semi & other electric big rigs to America’s Mountain!
Go Electric!
Our PPIC coverage from the mountain last year plus the history of EVs in the race!: ua-cam.com/video/z9_All7lC6Y/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
VW are clueless without Herbert Diess.
That’s why they need Rivian to give them a clue. Haha
We'll see how these partnerships change the direction of VW. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric If the mariage hold!
I'm not quite sure how robotaxis wil reduce vehicle congestion in cites. I would think it will do the exact opposite. If I'm wrong I would like someone to explain to me how this would be the case. It might reduce the amount of paring spots required but how will it reduce congestion on the roads? Also in cold weather climates there will have to be an indoor parking spot for every robotaxi during severe weather events. Or am I confused about how that will work?
Traffic reduction might be among the possible benefits. Safety and convenience will absolutely be benefits.
Each provider will devise and refine their own operation. Waymo is already operating in a couple of US markets with hundreds of vehicles.
-Producer Tim
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-self-driving-cars-reduce-traffic-congestion-alex-frank
$25 a day to park you car in many cities, Uber and Lyft are expensive and unreliable IMHO. Many other bennies to robo taxies.
@@MissGoElectric Yes, there are other benefits. However, the confident statement in the script about reducing congestion was a mistake.
@@charliesullivan4304 Reducing pollution is part of reducing congestion and can be said in the same breath, so maybe not a mistake. A gallon of gas takes our Mazda 6 32 miles. A gallon of gas in our generator puts 109 miles range on our EV6. We have blackouts here, wife is a first responder, it's our back up. Charging off our solar is free.
Robo taxis don’t reduce congestion they reduce the amount of people who are taxi drivers.
How does VW give billions to Rivian when they have one of the largest debts in the automotive industry? Volkswagen Total Long Term Debt (Quarterly): 203.47B for March 31, 2024.
Look for cost-cutting among its ICE models. VWs commitment to Rivian is about the second half of the decade.
My wife and her GF's rent a Taycan and buzz al around Europe especially Switzerland. They are all convinced from those experiences EVs are the future, and VW is convinced too. Problem with EVs is forcing them on people and certain political people don't want to hear that.
VW has debt, but that is normal. They also have about $40B cash-on-hand. It is smart of them to put it to work with a loan to Rivian in exchange for technology which could save them years and billions of dollars. Thank you for raising this question and we hope we've added clarity. -Producer Tim
www.group1corp.com/2024-04-24-Group-1-Automotive-Reports-First-Quarter-2024-Financial-Results
I think I know why Vern will be offering the rider a “scent” option.
@@MissGoElectric Most Legacy auto have EXCESSIVE Debt...have used it to do Share Buybacks and other "Earnings Juicing" moves to increase the Stocks on a Quarterly Earnings basis. That's how Legacy CEO's bonuses are determined. Instead of really focusing on the transition to pure EVs...they're slowing their roll on EVs. Just like VW cheated on DieselGate. This is a recurring theme. Fortunately there's companies that are True EV's or very heavy EVs.
Cheers!
If Volkswagen is gonna be doing any of their own software with the revian components.What a disaster that's gonna be.
Yeah, you have a point there. A very good point.
10% of Rivian's big software division are experts poached from Rivian. Their user interfaces have a lot of room for improvement. We think its smart for them to develop GUI in house. Rivian will save them a lot of money with a unified, simplified, and more efficient subsystem architecture. We think VW is on the right track. -Producer Tim
techcrunch.com/2024/06/28/volkswagens-silicon-valley-software-hub-is-already-stacked-with-rivian-talent
Impressive leap in battery technology from Geely
We think Geely is a dark horse in the race for global market share. They've made many wise brand acquisitions. Polestar and Volve have cleverly established manufacturing in the US, Belgium, and South Korea which means they are on track to avoid the tariffs which are currently blocking their best Chinese competitors from entering the US market. They appear to be very serious about vertical integration and scale. Thank you for commenting. --Producer Tim
Why is auto industry so obsessed with self-driving cars? Who is asking for them? Also, how exactly are robotaxis going to reduce urban congestion? They are still vehicles on the road.
I want affordable autonomous
People need rides places. They'd like the driver to be reliable, fast, affordable, and safe. If a robotaxi service can be better at all of those things, the business will be enormous. The leaders in this space which scale first will probably go unchallenged due to the flywheel effects of data and service/hardware refinement. As for congestion, here is an article on that: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/
Thanks for commenting -Producer Tim
Think about it. Why own a car if you can order a Robo with your cell phone to take you anywhere, arriving in minutes. This could be the future of transportation.
@@midnight4109$$$,
waiting vs no waiting, multi stop trips - buying things & leave in car, things you need in car, etc.
All of those are solvable with software and policy. In each case, the problem can be solved for less money buying time than carrying the asset. -Producer Tim
Ford can now go back with the same truck next year and run an 8:30 and beat their own record lol. I'm glad to hear Rivian has another lifeline. I was glad to hear RJ talk about more platform choices for EV; hoping to see a Rivian minivan. I like 1980's & 90's conversion vans. Ford could sell classic van chassis (they still sell new gas ones to RV converters) with a sub-200 mile battery (tax-credit qualifying), that has space & hookups (both current & cooling) for plug-in LFP battery modules. Camper. Ambulance. Towing or long-haul. Able to accept solar inputs. An RV house battery that could be used to recharge the main battery.
We recently published a segment over on our @missgoelectricIndsustry channel about a man who is enabling those older chassis to find new lives as EVs. You might like it:
ua-cam.com/video/rZPA7KieqN4/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
Good succinct weekly review. The VW rivian thing has a bit more skepticism incorporated which surprised me.
We hope we provided enough information for our viewers to see why we are cautiously optimistic. Rivian has a track record of announcing deals which are not final and subsequently fail. In this case, Rivian has borrowed $1B from VW and nothing more. They plan to reach an agreement for a joint venture which could result in a cash infusion of another $1B later this year. Then again, they might not reach an agreement and nothing could happen. The big pop in the stock and the sentiment offered by most coverage we've read regarding this issue does not seem to reflect the truly undefined nature of the JV or the milestones required for the final $3B. We paid close attention during the investor presentation. We hope our coverage is tempered and our skepticism is fair Thank your for joining us this week!.
-Producer Tim
Looking forward to the metal doped LFP battery cells becoming available more broadly in different form factors. Can help stationary storage, like in off-grid homes with the greater operational temperature ranges and better capacity for homes too!
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm. -Producer Tim
Interesting about Rivian and VW. That certainly is the big story. Rivian's biggest problem is capital. VW initially had big software issues and still lags the industry, plus their platform, even with many updates, fails to satisfy their fans well enough. A big company with issues and the money to spend on a solution vs. a small quality startup which needs money in order to become profitable. The 2 companies could bale each other out in the EV market where partnerships are becoming increasingly necessary. Now that EVs have conquered Pikes Peak, the feasibility of them is an example of how electric is becoming more road worthy every day, in spite of some hick ups, one step at a time. Great reporting!
Thank you for your synopsis. We think you'll really appreciate our dedicated Pikes Peak EV explainer:
ua-cam.com/video/z9_All7lC6Y/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
Very good video. I look forward to the Current each week. I see the partnership between Rivian and VW as a positive. To me it makes Rivian much more likely to survive and grow.
The VW and Rivian partnership can absolutely be a win-win. Right now, Rivian has $1B in debt. We hope they'll finalize a smart deal and hit the milestones for healthy finances through the completion of the Georgia factory and ramp of the R2. Thank you for joining us each week. -Producer Tim
Hmmm. Well… I wish Tesla would have recalled the HV Battery PCS that have broken down for numerous owners -or at least covered them under its HV Battery warranty. Tsk. I'm encouraged by the Rivian + VW deal, but also wish the latter would spend some beaucoup bucks on expanding and improving its Electrify America network. It's so sorely needed! As for robotaxis, I am not thrilled about them: I foresee us eventually evolving into the clueless, incapable, bloated humans in WALL•E.
Maybe IONNA will help
Wall-E and Idiocracy seemed outlandish at the time, but some of the themes have become plausible. Thanks for joining us this week! -Producer Tim
The more, the merrier. -Producer Tim
I can see cost advantages to robo-taxis but I am not sure they would help with street congestion that much.
Safety, convenience, and value are the primary advantages we should expect from Robotaxi technology. Congestion relief will be a consequence of optimally run robotaxi services. The pioneers will probably learn how to do it poorly before they learn how to do it well. Efficient allocation of robotaxi fleets will take time and data. Thank you for commenting. -Producer Tim
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-autonomous-vehicles-reduce-traffic-congestion-maymobility/
@@MissGoElectric I agree with your link, especially with the "last mile" argument. If robo-taxis could work together with buses, trains, then I think that would be great. And EVs make great robo-taxis. To tell you the truth, I think you could even do that with "van share" where a van takes you from subway, major bus stop, to where you want to go.
I love this channel do much
We are very pleased to have you joining us. We hope you'll come back next week! -Producer Tim
🎉👍😎 nice job thanks for the week update
Thank you for taking the time to leave an encouraging comment. We hope you'll consider sharing a link to this episode online. Last week views were down about 30% and we know that link sharing on forums or social media can help us to keep the series going. -Producer Tim
Both VW and Rivian benefit. But Rivian benefits the most right now. Once VW has finalized its 5 billion investment, there is no chance that VW will allow Rivian to go bankrupt. However, better and more reliable EVs will benefit the VW group immensely later in the decade.
Caribbean seems to be doing great, but I think they needed that extra money for insurance, it's a tough business to be a startup in
@@rp9674 How is VW doing with its OTAs? The software and zonal architecture have more to do with the system that controls the vehicle, not necessarily the user interface. So far, the only vehicle software manufacturers that have achieved this level of software success are Tesla and Rivian, which Rivian is quickly catching up. VW wants this same level of capabilities but must not see a path in a timely matter, such as the latter half of this decade.
At the moment, the details of the deal are not finalized. It has the potential to be a win-win and we hope Rivian is able to follow through this time cooperating with another automaker. Right now, Rivian has $1B worth of new debt and VW stands to make a return on the loan. Thank you for commenting. We hope to see you in the comments section again next week. -Producer Tim
Another great episode! The recent announcements from Oak Ridge National Labs on their work with VW/Porsche on wireless charging have been interesting. Using a Taycan and their new hardware they have achieved 100kW and 270kW charging speeds. Still a ways off from anything production ready but that sounds promising for future options on charging.
Thanks for watching!
Have you seen our demonstration of wireless EV charging?
ua-cam.com/video/3F7aTZAS3uE/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric I haven’t, thanks for sharing the link!
@@MissGoElectric just watched the video, very cool! Have you gotten any updates from them on progress since that video?
We haven't spoken with them in a while. Tesla bought Wiferion and has shown photos of their upcoming technology. The Cybertruck also had confirmed connections near the rear underside for a wireless charging receiver.
Hyundai has been building EVs with Witricity support in South Korea.
We suspect that technology will be ubiquitous within three or four years.
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Very cool, thanks!
I want to see Aptera run Pike's Peak. They won't perform the best, they can't take advantage of their aerodynamic design, but hopefully the light weight still makes a great impact.
I wonder if they'd have to compete as a motorcycle? We would like to see Aptera deliver their first unit to customers. -Producer Tim
South Carolina Polstar construction is still on trac ? Volvo has divested it's Polestar involvement so I considered that construction off the table.
In a previous episode, we reported that the factory in South Carolina has produced its first Geely SUVs already. It looks like summer deliveries are on track for Polestar 3 out of the US. South Korea will be producing Polestar4 for the American market. -Producer Tim
How did they get the funding🙏?
How did Rivian get the funding or Verne? Well..the answer will be largely the same. The leaders have innovated and proven that they get things done. RJ Scaringe and Mate Rimac are both the real deal and they are highly backable figures. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to answer your question. -Producer Tim
Good Episode! Subscribe! Better audio this time, I wonder if the mic not being muffled behind the collar could be it? 😉🙂
Microphone placement in this episode is identical to last week, as are the EQ, limiter, and noise reduction plugin settings. I'm happy to hear that the audio is satisfactory! -Producer Tim
How can a hydraulic failure cause loss of both front brakes? I thought NHTSA regulations had required dual diagonal braking systems since the 1960's. With dual diagonal hydraulic failures result in the loss of one front brake and one rear brake. It would take two independent failures to loose both front brakes.
We have not reported, or seen reporting that *BOTH* brakes will fail as a result of the leak. The language we have seen is that front brakes can fail. Note absence of the word "both". Here is the language directly from NHTSA:
June 19, 2024 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 24V455000
Front Brake Hoses Can Crack and Leak Fluid
A brake fluid leak can reduce braking performance and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V455000
Manufacturer Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Potential Number of Units Affected 31,689
Summary
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Taycan vehicles. The front brake hoses can develop cracks and leak brake fluid.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 3, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARB0.
I don't know how the VW - Rivian marriage will be a celebrated or early divorce.
A top Rivian Exec is a neighbor of ours. Has 2 Rivians. We can't get used to the front clip styling. Get up in the morning and look at that in the driveway? Nahh, not for us. Wifie has to get up and look at me,, that's enough for one morning.
Certainly an interesting turn of events. Happy for Rivian as they desperately need the cash and I'd like to see them succeed long term. So long as VW isn't calling the shots for Rivian this could be a win-win for both.
@@Dive-Bar-Casanova I've never been able to get past that front end either. Horrendous styling. The rest of the vehicle looks fine.
Miss GoElectric's daily driver is a Rivian R1T Dual Motor Performance with the Max Pack battery. For what its worth, she is very happy with the product. Before that her daily driver was a 2022 Tesla Model Y. We also have a Tesla Model S and a Cybertruck. She has driven just about every EV on the market. For what its worth, she almost always chooses to drive the Rivian. -Producer Tim
Despite the fanfare, the deal is not yet done, so your guess is as good as ours. -Producer Tim
Question: for Pikes Peak, what was the EV time vs the best ICE time? Assuming that EV was better, this should be shared to help inform people of the progress of EVs. 2024 shouldn't be EV vs EV, it should be letting the public know every time EVs beat ICE, and WHY EVs are better.
Best EV 8:53
Best ICE 9:04
-Producer Tim
ppihc.org/2024-ppihc-division-winners-record-holders/#:~:text=This%20was%20Cowper's%20second%20consecutive,sub%2D10%2Dminute%20time.
We think you'll really appreciate our dedicated Pikes Peak EV explainer:
ua-cam.com/video/z9_All7lC6Y/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
I doubt the Tesla Robotaxi will be as luxurious as Verne. Tesla will cost much less too.
If you can remember Checker Taxicabs they were industrial strength interiors to hold up to the wear and tear.
We found Waymo's Jaguar robotaxi to be quite luxurious both physically and in terms of how it behaved. It will be exciting to see purpose-built robotaxi interiors in the wild one day. -Producer Tim
Your time stamps are but jumbled up
Thank you for letting us know. We've fixed it due to your head's up. -Producer Tim
With the seemingly continuous advancements in EV’s I worry that my 2024 EV will feel like a Model T in a year!😂
:))
I've had my Model Y for 2 years and it seems like a new car with MANY improvements and new features since I bought it. All over the air, it's never been back to Tesla. Meanwhile my gas car sits in the garage with several recalls due but I dread having to go back to the dealer to get them fixed.
Don't worry.
My 2015 BMW I3 and 2015 Fiat 500e still drive great with quick acceleration. Infotainment and active safety features have changed on the same pace as gas cars. 80mi range to 259 for my 23 Bolt. I don't expect the new EV to have 780 Mi range, would be unnecessary anyway. I also expect diminishing increaces on charging speed
@@rp9674 I think VW is addressing the cost issue that is problematic for everyone today except Tesla. They must feel like they have fallen behind on Zonal architecture and its software. Rivian has recently formed a joint venture with Nvidia to begin making perhaps the most capable zonal MCUs yet to be used in this manner. I think VW wants to do this, but it is too far behind its software and hardware plans and wants to license or own what Rivian has already developed. The future will rely on profitability and desirability. What makes Tesla and Rivian special is that the vehicles, over time, are much better than the day they were purchased. VW, Ford, GM, etc., are a decade behind. It's only a matter of time before shoppers realize this and stop buying vehicles that need to be replaced to receive new features and performance. That “ next year's model” of dealership upselling is becoming obsolete and might be the death knell for makers who don’t catch up.
VERNE robotaxi should be renamed "Cinderella". The catchy hit song of the original Disney movie was: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The Mobileye costs a fortune, weighs a ton, uses lots of power, and... does not work. Unlikely to ever see production and deployment, other than perhaps running around the only monorail systems in the world: Disney World.
We'll see what happens with the software side of things, but we have a high degree of confidence that Mate Rimac will deliver the vehicle. Once investment from Saudi Arabia is involved, we tend to see ideas realized. Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla are prime examples. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric The Saudis invested in Tesla? As for the VERNE, it is undrivable without ALL the software and related hardware working.
BIG TIME. www.cnbc.com/2020/02/04/saudi-arabia-fund-dumped-nearly-all-of-its-tesla-shares-in-the-fourth-quarter-filing-shows.html
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Thanks. It's all coming back to me now, Elon was going to take Tesla private, and the Saudis were one of the key sources of money. After the SEC noise, they cut and ran.
The correlation you've implied is speculation. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund was invested from 2012-2020. Elon's tweet about going private was posted on August 7th, 2018. -Producer Tim
The problem with all of the recalls is that the microscope is on EV’s. Thanks to the naysayers and the bias media, anything that happens to any electric vehicle gets magnified disproportionately compared to ICE vehicles. The critics don’t take into consideration the thousands of ICE vehicles that get recalled every year for all sorts of reasons and the media doesn’t even bother to scrutinize the problems as much as they do with EV’s.
You aren't wrong. -Producer Tim
Billions $$$ made on the Rivian - VW stock bubble by a few who actually understand what's happening. Essentially, VW is buying ~ 20% of Rivian cheap ($1 billion) because Rivian could not find another source of $$$ it needs to stay in business a year from now. Rivian recently started making vehicles with greatly reduced costs, that transition was 6-9 months, which is lighting fast for a car company. VW can't change anything, other than delay or cancel plans, in less than 3~4 years. Who says? Herbert Diess did. The question is what will the final "deal" be, how much it dilutes existing shareholder, what are the milestones for further investments, will VW have the money then and most significantly, as one of Rivian's largest stock holders, what will VW demand? It would be a good idea for all the enthusiastic cheerleader's to read the "Agreement" in full before euphoria sets in as it could be < $10 in the coming months.
As we understand it, VW owns zero percent of Rivian. At the moment, Rivian has debt, provided by VW. Later this year, there is a possibility VW and Rivian finalize the details and Rivian could receive one billion dollars for access to intellectual property and other benefits associated with the joint venture. Time will tell what kind of ownership RJ and the board are willing to cede. VW and Ford have a similar arrangement, sharing the MEB platform and Argo without either company giving up equity or control.
While we are not as emphatic about the conclusions you've drawn, most of the premises you've stated check out. This deal is good for VW and good for Rivian. Even a win-win deal can fall apart when it comes time to sign the contract. Until the details are finalized, we'll approach this with cautious optimism.
Than you for sharing your views. -Producer Tim
www.motor1.com/news/657646/volkswagen-group-ceo-partnership-ford-growing/
@@MissGoElectric You left out the word "convertable" in the description of Rivian's debt to VW. Both understand that it will be "converted" into Rivian stock sooner than later, since Rivian cannot possibly payback the "loan" and is unlikely to get new financing. Because of this, regardless of what arrangement is made between VW & Rivian, some large stockholders will object to the large dilution of their holdings.
Ford / VW is a bit different. Ford's Europe sales are plummeting and they need an EV car to build and sell, so they came up with a deal where Ford pays $$ to VW for rights and power trains to assemble them in their own plant. The Argo and Capri are a mixture of the Mach-E and ID.4 ~ $50k +/- $5k Europe only sales.
The terms of possible stock/equity conversion are unknown. At the moment, its a loan. Speculation regarding what can happen and what potential futures exist can easily fill a comments section. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Yup. All will be known by the end of this year.
I'll see the devil handing out ice-skates before I get in a robo taxi that doesn't have a way for riders to take over control when (not if) there is an issue. I have owned to many electronics that freak out for no reason.
We've very much enjoyed our experiences hiring the Waymo robotaxi. It was superior to human drivers for us. Remember, human drivers can glitch out as well. -Producer Tim
www.abc15.com/news/crime/denver-uber-driver-accused-of-killing-passenger-charged-with-first-degree-murder
@@MissGoElectric True, humans do "glitch". My real worry is that there is no way to override the AI if it "glitches" in these proposed box-with-seats concepts. At least with the Waymo Robotaxis, there is still a steering wheel you can grab in an emergency.
Right on.
Transformation of transportation to riegn in emissions requires careful planning. Taxis are the least efficient way to move a person on the ground. Electric trams, metros, and regional rail are the most efficient and viable way to eliminate emissions and move people at scale. along with micromobility. We're only seeing excitement about autonomous robotaxis by tech bros and technocrats, and they haven't actually figured out that taxies create increased traffic congestion and don't scale. Taxis are for the rich, so we shouldn't be surprised when rich tech bros seeking profits offer them up as a viable solution. Taxis and ridesharing services are undermining and cannibalizing share mass transit. We need to stop the deadheading that taxi style transportation causes and this includes privatized microtransit, the next problem MPOs are mistakenly experimenting with.
The people I know who used light rail don't anymore due to safety, disease and simply disgusting behavior by some riders. The rather recent line that's nearest me is losing massive money every year and the counties involved are trying to close it down due to losses and low ridership. The new line through the city has been cancelled after large investment due to public disapproval. Boring company or similar tunnels may be a solution as they solve most of the problems of light rail.
SMH - the Boring company. Really? Can we get an intervention for folks.
ua-cam.com/video/qNNKpnd5lyM/v-deo.htmlsi=40eV1b5pT1DyQHo4
That is one way of looking at it. We do not share your view, but we also do not have a horse in that race. This channel is about electrification and Verne is an EV. -Producer Tim
Geely must make vehicles and batteries in USA to compete. I would never buy a Chinese EV or battery which sends profits to CCP military. 100% tariff please on Chinese EVs / batteries.
China is the biggest & best battery producer in the world. North American big 3 needs those batteries to be able to compete, since the price of those batteries would be much lower, however with the Tariff, we, the consumer are the losers.
I thought they were building a plant here.
@@rozonoemi9374 Without a tariff, the American auto industry will need a government bailout paid by Americans so you lose here while China propers. We must not allow China to take over the US auto industry. American technology better wake up and work smarter than the Chinese to compete. I would never buy a Chinese battery.
@@johnpoldo8817 They have the best batteries, your reaction is political.
Next gen batteries will be awesome . LFP is the way to go for most cases IMO